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No Firm Word On Perez's Role On City School Board

Steven Goode

June 26, 2010

Eddie A. Perez might be vacating his city hall office, but so far there has been not any indication of his plans for his appointed seat on the city's board of education.

Perez made no mention of the school board in a statement released after he formally submitted his resignation Friday afternoon, and his spokeswoman said she had no knowledge that any decision had been made.

City and school officials are expecting that he will step down and are already asking about how to proceed with filling Perez's seat.

Ada Miranda, who replaced Perez as chairman in February 2009, said Friday that she has not been told about the former mayor's plans.

"I really don't know, but I imagine if he is stepping down as mayor he would step down from the school board," Miranda said.

City council President Pedro Segarra, who will replace Perez as mayor, had a similar view of the situation Friday, saying that he assumed "he's going to be stepping down."

"I don't anticipate that he would continue," Segarra said.

The question now for both was who will name his successor on the school board. As a strong mayor, Perez had the power to appoint five of the nine members of the school board. He appointed himself to the board and was elected chairman in December 2005.

Miranda said she was seeking a legal opinion about who should name Perez's replacement. Segarra said he would consult the city charter for guidance on the proper procedure and whose responsibility it is to appoint a replacement.

Corporation Counsel John Rose was asked Friday about his reading of the city charter on replacing the mayor on the school board, but he hung up the phone without answering the question.